Cowboys seek outside perspectives on team

Posted: February 23, 2013 - 7:51pm

MCT News Wire

INDIANAPOLIS — On the first day of this year, the Cowboys faced an issue. They had just finished 8-8 for the second consecutive season. But unlike 2012, they sensed they wouldn’t be major players in the free-agent market because of their problematic salary-cap situation.

So if the Cowboys couldn’t significantly upgrade their personnel with new veteran players, how would they spark improvement, or in the worst-case scenario, prevent regression?

Something needed to be done, they concluded. And in the end, the team’s management decided to revamp the coaching staff. Six assistants were hired from outside the organization. Another, Wes Phillips, was promoted.

The turnover brought new blood but more important, fresh perspectives. The Jones family has long valued the views of people working beyond the walls of Valley Ranch.

They already knew the appraisals of individual players that had been made by Rob Ryan and the rest of the coaches that had left or been fired.

But what was new defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin’s assessment of the safeties?

Or what did the recently hired Gary Brown think of the running backs he would be asked to supervise?

“It’s not like you don’t know where you are,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said, “but it’s refreshing sometimes to get a new opinion.”

It’s also critical when the Cowboys have such little margin for error because of the financial constraints they face as they try to shave approximately $20 million off their budget by a March 12 deadline.

Every potential move must be carefully weighed, and whether the Cowboys elect to keep or discard a player could affect them from a competitive standpoint.

Making sure they make the best choice is crucial. That’s why head coach Jason Garrett has welcomed the input of his new assistants.

“We have a ton of coaches who have been with us, and the evaluation of our current team we did immediately after the season,” Garrett said Friday at the NFL scouting combine.

“Then when you bring some new coaches in on both sides of the ball, you get an opportunity to see these players maybe with some fresh eyes. So we try to take advantage of that. The combination of guys who have been around these players and the new eyes is really beneficial.”

The Cowboys hope that mix will produce a winning formula. Garrett said “8-8 is not good enough.”

“We know that,” he added. “We simply have to get better.”

But last March, when the Cowboys were coming off a .500 season that resulted in no playoff berth, they had more cap room that allowed them to sign seven free agents, including high-priced cornerback Brandon Carr.

Jones said the Cowboys won’t be nearly as active on the open market next month.

“So how do you get better?” Jones asked.

It was a question that was asked of Garrett.

“Hopefully, we will coach better,” he said. “Hopefully, guys will play better.”

The Cowboys may have no other options. Garrett is aware of the team’s financial position, and while he said that “adding some new guys will help us,” no one knows right now if the team will have the budget to acquire veteran talent or if it will have to rely almost exclusively on the draft for reinforcements.

“We need to make sure we get that business done to help our football team be as good as it could be,” Garrett said.

In the meantime, Garrett and Jones hope the newly hired assistants can push the Cowboys over the hump by making their current personnel perform better.

“We made some staff decisions for a lot different reasons,” Garrett said.

“We feel good about the decisions we made and the people we brought in. So hopefully they will help us.”

At the very least, they will help freshen a team that turned stale after two consecutive 8-8 seasons.